We love mechanical sports cars. We’re inspired by their shapes, sounds… and their unique auras. Their timeless allure that binds kindred spirits across generations. The Mazda RX-7 exemplifies that – a golden era of sports car ingenuity & individuality. But at the end of the day – and this is crucial to real car culture – a car’s value is not in its metal. It’s not in the material, and it’s not in the badge on the hood. That’s where many go wrong.

True value is not found in a car’s specs or status…

We’re not trying to keep up with the Joneses here. Rather, we’re trying to break free from them. Because in an ever evolving, regulating, leash-tightening world, people crave harder-&-harder to truly LIVE… not just exist. Look around at the modern world – at a population fueled by fear & mega-corporations ‘selling the safety’. For some of us…

We want the THRILL of speed… not the coddling of modern convenience.

We’ll accept the danger… over training-wheels & computer control. We want being in the moment to be non-optional. And we want to raise our children our way, and not let the system turn them into the next generation of obedient, autonomous, pill-popping consumers. What, too far lol? …Not even close Karen.

Our addiction to mechanical sports cars is & will always be – in their connection…

We’re seeking-out visceral… in a world of numb. And we’re choosing involvement over complacency. It’s the connection that grounds us, resets us, and keeps us on our True North. Contrary to outsiders’ beliefs, we don’t “put our entire identity in cars”. Rather – here’s the difference – they’re an outward expression/reflection of who we fundamentally are at our core. Conviction, vibrance, & audacity. Or better yet – life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We hold these truths to be self-evident. But enough with all that…

Erik’s path towards RX-7 obsession…

23 years ago, Erik Czajkowski (pronounced just like it sounds lol) & his dad went car-shopping for Erik’s 1st car. At the local car lot, sat a picture-perfect FC Mazda RX-7 Turbo. They took it on a test drive, and once Erik got his first taste of boost, he was HOOKED!! His dad said something like (record-scratch) “Lol… not a chance.” According to his dad’s likely-wise judgement, the turbo RX-7 was way too fast for a teenager’s first car. “We’ll take the Oldsmobile.”

The RX-7 had already got its hooks in Erik though…

And there’s only one cure for that. It took some time, but about 10 years later (circa 2013), Erik found a mint-condition, 1-owner RX-7 GTU (black car below). The GTU’s did not come turbocharged, but they were a cool driver’s model with the turbo appearance package, bigger brakes, and limited slip. They were also stripped of most of the unnecessary luxury amenities. Erik’s dream was to do a 3-rotor turbo in his GTU. Ok though – shelve that dream for a moment. Life is happening for Erik: 1st house, 1st child on the way, annnnd a global pandemic to shuffle things up. Cut to present(ish) day 2021…

Pandemic or not, Erik was desperate for a race car…

The black GTU was somewhere deep in the engine-swap process, but Covid was slowing everything down, and Erik was desperate for something to race/drive. So two weeks after his 2nd daughter was born, Erik landed on this white FC RX-7, more-or-less ready to race. Hmmm the timing was bad… or was it?? Surly his lovely, kind, & caring wife wouldn’t divorce him 2-weeks after their 2nd child?? Doubtful lol – she needed his help! So Erik hedged his bets (JK got permission), and pulled the white RX-7 into the garage next to a cradle and a crib… with Frozen locked on the garage TV.

This FC RX-7 is a true family-built, grassroots endeavor…

In all seriousness, Erik has a truly admirable & inspiring way of including his family. And he has the patience & grasp on the moment… to slow down, include the girls, soak-up the time, and stay in-tune with what it’s really all about. And in all honestly, recreational racing doesn’t need more than that. Let that sink in. It’s doesn’t need shops, and lifts, and dynos, and telemetry, and enclosed trailers. We’ve imposed those burdens on ourselves.

As the girls have grown a little older…

They just kinda follow Erik into the garage… like little ducks. Nothing is cooler or more magnificent/epic, than daddy’s race car! Through the eyes of a child, it’s superhero status! AKA: The first thing they put in their kindergarten projects. And that’s the thing: A lot of times we (as parents) get so caught in providing for our kids… that we forget to inspire them. Personally, I’m way off-target from perfect. Life’s a balancing act & I stumble literally constantly… we probably all do. But I think that our kids want to look up & see us LIVING… not just existing. You ever see how excited they get when you get excited? They feed off your energy. It’s literally how they’re learning to see the world, and their existence in it. So in a way (poetically-speaking) – anything less than full-pegged passion is selling them short.

Curveball: Daddy just sold his RX-7…

And a few little girl tears were shed. But when Erik bought this RX-7, he knew selling it was always the inevitable. And he knew it was gonna be a tough band-aid to rip off. But never fear! Because there’s still the black car, remember? And his heart’s always been with the black GTU. Selling the white car, yields the cashflow to get that turbocharged 3-rotor finished properly. Even though both his daughters proclaim “it’s not a real race car” because it still has a passenger seat.